Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Mass Media: The Terrorists' Battlefield

Terrorist groups have lately
realized that violence alone is not the
best recourse to gaining an overall victory for their cause. Sophisticated
terrorists organizations like TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and Al-Qaeda, realize that in addition to violence,
propaganda is needed for the successful orchestration of their activities.
Whether it is television, radio or the internet, terrorist organizations
understand that these instruments are valuable in instilling fear, panic and
devastating psychological effects on a governments and citizens.

Recently, three workers
associated with ExpressNews television were killed when unidentified attackers
of Tehreek - e- Taliban Pakistan opened fire on a DSNG (digital satellite news
gathering) van in Karachi’s Nazimabad area.

“We (TTP) accept responsibility.
I would like to present some of its reasons: At present, Pakistani media is
playing the role of (enemies and spread) venomous propaganda against
Tehreek-e-Taliban. They have assumed the (role of) opposition. We had intimated
the media earlier and warn it once again that (they must) side with us in this
venomous propaganda,” TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Express News.

Terrorist attacks are useless if
no one knows about them. As the old saying goes: "a picture is worth a
thousand words". Images, especially
video images, of bombed buildings, bloody corpses and frightened hostages are
much more memorable than print or audio reports of the same incidents.
Committing and claiming responsibility for a terrorist attack is one of the
most effective ways to obtain free global publicity for one's cause.

Other than the internet and
printed material, terrorist have sought out other means in broadcasting their
ideologies. All terrorist organizations need a large audience, and they have
learned to exploit the media's own procedure to maximize their reach. In
executing violent acts, terrorist organizations hope to draw attention through
news media which broadcasts their violent activities across the country and as
well as across the globe.

Media also gives a twisted
version of a celebrity status to these individuals. Broadcasting their names
and pictures across the screen and giving them credit for these heinous acts
serves only to inflate warped egos. If the media stops giving credit and attention to the perpetrators and
instead focuses on the heinous nature of the attack and the plight of the
families of the dead and injured, it might take away from the terrorists
inherent need for publicity.

The aim of the terrorist organizations
is to be treated like regular, accepted, legitimate world leaders. According to
the TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan “the media must mend its behavior and do
balanced reporting, which is impartial, which is transparent and not tainted
with propaganda”

The media may directly or
indirectly serve the interests of terrorists by simplifying stories for the
viewer to the point that it has little to do with the actual events. Repeating
the traumatizing scenes and stories may also serve terrorists, as the goal of
the terrorists is to be in the media as often and long as possible.

The one thing that is
indisputable is that Pakistani media feeds on the violence of terrorism acts;
whoever can tell the most violent story wins the audience. This is not really
about freedom of speech, but rather a morbid desire to acquire the biggest
audience and consequently harvest the capitol benefits.

In a nation where the government
maintains tight control of the media like China or North Korea, terrorist
tactics are nearly useless.

Following recommendations can be
implemented to minimize the media-related effects of terrorism:

●News coverage with less
repetition of horrific scenes, less traumatization, less sensation and more
information are essential in the first place

●The media should present story
to the audience fairly and accurately without bias, so that the audience can
make their own opinion of the news and/or story.

●To avoid panic in audience,
Media should use plain language that everybody can understand.

●Since no terrorist group is
alike, the media should differentiate between different types of terrorism and
terrorist groups

●Government-media partnership
should be formed for better and accurate background of any terrorism-related
act.

Terrorist attacks are designed
to create an atmosphere of fear or a sense of threat. In any case, the
terrorists’ need for media publicity and media’s need for a greater audience
and profits.